The Carval HR Software Blog

New rules came into force on Monday 30 June meaning all employees with 26 weeks or more service will be allowed to request flexible working. Employers in turn must address requests in a "reasonable manner".

Such schemes have some great benefits but they do require careful planning. Here's a quick at-a-glance guide to help get you started.

1) What is flexible working?

It is a variation of an employee’s working pattern, such as working from home, part-time working, flexi-time, job sharing and shift working.

2) Who can ask for it?

All employees with 26 weeks or more service are allowed to ask to work flexibly, until now, they only had the right if they had children under 17 (or 18 if they have a disability) or if they cared for an adult dependant.

3) Do you have to agree to it?

Employers are required to consider requests objectively and in a "reasonable manner". There are eight business reasons an employer can use for rejecting a request, including:

The burden of additional costs

An inability to meet customer demand

An inability to reorganise work or

An inability to recruit new staff.

Employers should:

Hold a meeting with the employee to discuss their request in good time

Communicate the decision to them within 3 months

Provide clear business reasons for any rejection

4) Are there any benefits to your business?

There are several really great business reasons to consider requests to work flexibly with open arms including:

6) The preparation you’ll need to do

When introducing any sort of change in the workplace consultation is absolutely key, to make sure that what you are considering will be valued and is workable. You might want to consider the following: